Iḷisaġvik College Presents: I AM

On April 21, 2018, the Dr. Albert Conference

I AM Hall at Iḷisaġvik College was transformed into
a stage for a unique kind of performance.
a collaborative group performance A performance meant to honor. Ourselves, our
produced by the students of

Iñupiaq Studies 118: communities and our connections to something

Exploring Cultural Identity through Storytelling and Performance greater.

At 7:10PM, four slightly terrified and entirely

courageous students took their places in the front
of the room, ready to honor an aspect of their
cultural identity through live performance. They
had been working for nearly three months – designing, creating, writing, researching,
and rehearsing – and were finally ready to perform new artistic narratives about who
they are, today.

“I think that we perceive things to be good or bad in

a moment, but not in our whole. We can use bad things
to create good in our lives.”

I AM had begun. One by one, each student took their positions on stage, speaking
directly to the audience. The students, who had not had time to rehearse it entirely even
once before performance night, flowed through each line like seasoned actors. Their
voices were clear and strong, even when they stumbled. Tears flowed freely, as did
smiles as they journeyed through their stories, one by one and in some scenes, together –
supporting each other as the performance progressed.

They weren’t expecting it to be perfect. But, in letting go of what they thought

it should be, and embracing their work and themselves, it was.

The performance ended with a poem,

spoken in Iñupiaq and then English,
line by line. Three of the four students
were Iñupiat. But the poem wasn’t
about blood. It was about community
and over the course of the semester,
that’s what we’d become.
A community of artists, sharing new
Left to right: Kakianaaq Patkotak, Nuŋaluk Esmailka,
ways to see and understand the world
Raymond Ipalook and Charlene Penner. with our larger communities.

One audience member emailed this in the next day: “It is a rare opportunity in Barrow
to get to watch a thought provoking original performance…It was wonderful and
inspirational and captured the spectrum of the human experience in such an original
way.”
Ó Aaluk Edwardson 2018
www.aalukedwardson.com
 This poem, written by Raymond Ipalook, was read by
the whole cast at the end of the performance:

Iñupiaguruŋa.
I am an Inupiaq person.
Iġñauruŋa, paniuruŋa.
I am a son, I am a daughter.
Tutaatuuruŋa sivulliimniñ.
I am a grandchild of those who came before me.
Iñuguqtauruŋa suamaruaniñ, piḷḷuataqtuaniñ, piqpagnaqtuaniñ
I am the product of a mixture of a strong, thriving,
amazing people.
Kiŋuniitka uvamni ittut, aullatigaanŋa avlutuaqama sivunniuġamalu.
My ancestors and those that came before me, are always present, guiding
each footstep and decision I make in life.
Iġñiġma allallu qaiyumaaqtuat, qiñiġniaġaich savaavut.
My son and those that will come after me, will see the work that we have done.
Iḷisimanaiqtut savautiravut. Piḷḷuatatqummigivut, tallimat malġut
kiŋuniivut, tallimat malġut kiŋuvaavut.
And they will know that it was for them. That we are hopeful they too, are
successful.
Kiikaa suamaniaqtugut, sayyaaġigluta, pimmaaġiglutalu.
7 Generations before us, and 7 Generations after us.
We will continue to be strong, vibrant, and thriving people.
Aniġniqaqtuksraurugut Iñupiatun. Atuqtuksraurugut Iñupiatun
We must Breathe in Iñupiaq. We must Sing in Iñupiaq.
Qiaruksraurugut Iñupiatun. Iglaqtuksraurugut Iñupiatun
We must cry in Iñupiaq. We must laugh in Iñupiaq.
Nakuaqqutiqaqtuksraurugut Iñupiatun. Iñuuniaqtuksraurugut Iñupiatun.
We must love in Iñupiaq. We must live an Inupiaq life.
Iñupiagurugut
We are Inupiat.

QUYANAQPAK (BIG THANKS) to Iḷisaġvik College students, faculty and staff; The Tuzzy
Library; Brad Manuluk Stevens; Pati Hernandez; Dr. Kathryn Lively; and the Edwardson
Family for your support and enthusiasm for this project.

Aaluk Edwardson taught Iñupiaq Studies 118 and directed the performance final, I AM.
Brad Manuluk Stevens supported the performance as the assistant director.
Ó Aaluk Edwardson 2018
www.aalukedwardson.com